U.S. Meat Demand: Household Dynamics and Media Information Impacts

This article uses national, quarterly data to examine U.S. meat demand using the Rotterdam
model. We investigate the effect of multiple information indices linking different
health concerns with diet, changes in household dynamics, and meat recall information.
Medical journal articles linking iron, zinc, and protein with health and diet increase beef
and poultry demand, whereas articles dealing with fat, cholesterol, and diet concerns
reduce beef demand. Increasing consumption of food away from home enhances pork
and poultry demand while reducing beef demand. Combined, these results provide a more
complete and current understanding of the impact of multiple information factors faced
by U.S. consumers.